Hokkien mee
Encyclopedia
- See also : Hae meeHae meeHae mee is a noodle soup dish popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It can also refer to a fried noodle dish known as Hokkien mee. The dish's name literally means "prawn noodles" in the Hokkien dialect of the Chinese language....
Hokkien mee refers to fried noodles
Chow mein
Chow mein is a Chinese term for a dish of stir-fried noodles, of which there are many varieties.-Etymology:...
cooked in Hokkien (Fujian) style
Fujian cuisine
Fujian cuisine is one of the native Chinese cuisines derived from the native cooking style of the province of Fujian, China. Fujian style cuisine is known to be light but flavourful, soft, and tender, with particular emphasis on umami taste, known in Chinese cooking as "xiānwèi" , as well as...
. Hokkien mee is served in many Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n countries (mostly Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
) and was brought there by immigrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
from Fujian province in southeastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Types
There are two types of Hokkien mee: Hokkien hae meeHae mee
Hae mee is a noodle soup dish popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It can also refer to a fried noodle dish known as Hokkien mee. The dish's name literally means "prawn noodles" in the Hokkien dialect of the Chinese language....
and Hokkien char mee. Hokkien hae mee (Hokkien prawn noodles) is commonly served in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and Singapore while Hokkien char mee (Hokkien fried noodles) is commonly served in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and the Klang Valley. The dish commonly referred to as "Hokkien mee", depending on the locality, can mean either Hokkien hae mee or Hokkien char mee. For example, Hokkien mee in Kuala Lumpur refers to Hokkien char mee.
| Hokkien hae mee (prawn noodles) | Hokkien char mee (fried noodles) |
|---|---|
| Refers to either the Penang prawn noodle or Singapore prawn noodle | Refers to the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien noodle |
| Soup based (Penang) and stir fried (Singapore) | Stir fried |
| Egg noodles and rice noodles | Fat yellow noodles |
| No dark soya sauce used | Dark soya sauce is used |
| Prawn is the main ingredient with slices of chicken or pork, squid and fish cake. kangkung(water spinach) is common in the Penang version |
Slices of chicken or pork, squid and cabbage |
Strictly speaking, the Penang and Singapore versions of Hokkien mee are two different dishes, except that they are both prawn noodle dishes and share the name "Hokkien." The ingredients and methods of cooking are different, and the Penang version is cooked in soup while the Singapore version is stir fried. In this respect, the dish Hokkien mee can refer to no fewer than three different distinct dishes: Penang Hokkien mee, Singapore Hokkien mee, and Kuala Lumpur Hokkien mee. Penang Hokkien mee is sometimes referred to in Kuala Lumpur as mee yoke, since in Kuala Lumpur, Hokkien mee means Hokkien char mee by default.
Hokkien hae mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)
Hokkien hae mee (Hokkien/Fujian prawn noodles; 福建蝦麵) is served in PenangPenang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
(with a variant served in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Muar
Muar
Muar may refer to* Muar District, a district in Johor, Malaysia* Muar , a town in the district of Muar.* Muar River * Muar River...
in the southern state of Johor known as Hae mee
Hae mee
Hae mee is a noodle soup dish popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It can also refer to a fried noodle dish known as Hokkien mee. The dish's name literally means "prawn noodles" in the Hokkien dialect of the Chinese language....
). It is a dish of egg noodles and rice noodles in a fragrant stock, which is made from both fresh shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
and dried prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s, as well as pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
or chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. Traditionally, small cubes of fried pork fat are added to the soup, but this is now less common due to health concerns. It is garnished with prawns, fish cake, leafy greens, pork ribs, squid, crisp deep-fried shallots, spring onions and fresh lime. The dish is served with sliced red chili, light soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
and sambal
Sambal
Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...
.
In Singapore, Hokkien mee refers to a variant of the Penang version of Hokkien hae mee. The dish uses the same egg noodles and rice noodles used in Hokkien hae mee, but is stir fried in lard and served dry. The main ingredients are shrimps and small pieces of sliced pork. It is usually served with lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
and sambal
Sambal
Sambal is a chili based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Javanese influence. It is typically made from a variety of chili peppers and is...
chilli.
Hokkien Char Mee (Hokkien Fried Noodles)
Hokkien char mee (Hokkien/Fujian fried noodles; 福建炒麵) is served in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and the surrounding region. It is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy (sometimes pork liver is included). The best examples are usually cooked over a raging charcoal fire.
Although now found on the menu all over Malaysia, and also in Malaysian restaurants around the world, it remains an extremely difficult dish to replicate. Only the ones found in the Klang Valley (KL) have the more authentic taste.
It is usually eaten with "Sambal Belacan" and/or raw garlic.
Articles
- Makansutra.com - Singapore Hokkien Mee
- Waisikkai.com - KL Chinatown Hokkien Mee
- Waisikkai.com - Best Hokkien Mee in Petaling Jaya